“This proposal originates from the heart of Indian Country,” said Eric Descheenie, a member of the Navajo Nation who serves as co-chair of the Bears
Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition. “By protecting these sacred ancestral lands we can take a very important step towards healing.”

Cedar Mesa in Utah was home to the ancestors of today's Pueblo and other tribes. Photo by Don
Romnes

“This destruction of our sacred sites—including the gravesites of our ancestors—deeply wounds us,” said Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk, a council member for the Ute Mountain Ute
Tribe in Colorado. “Bears Ears should have been protected long ago. It has been central to our creation and migration stories since time immemorial.”

Bears Ears could be included in a Public Lands Initiative that's being developed to address land issues in the state.
Utah lawmakers said they are open to the idea although they claimed not everyone supports it.

"The Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition is an important stakeholder in the Public Lands Initiative. The Coalition represents many Native American voices that have an interest in how lands in San Juan County are managed,' four Republicans from Utah said in a statement. "While many Native Americans who live in Utah oppose the Coalition's proposal, we welcome the input and recommendations nonetheless. Our offices have now received over 65 detailed proposals from various stakeholder groups regarding land management in eastern Utah. We remain committed to reviewing each proposal and producing a final PLI bill that is balanced and broadly supported."